THE CURATOR’S SHORT LIST OF STANDOUT BAY AREA DESIGN

San Francisco Art Institute building by Paffard KeatingeClay. “One of my favorite buildings in the city is the 1969 addition to SFAI’s Russian Hill campus. A Brutalist gem designed by British architect Paffard KeatingeClay, the terrace offers one of the best views of North Beach and the bay. Check out the exceptional WPA-era Diego Rivera mural and the Alejandro Almanza Pereda exhibition in the Walter and McBean

Galleries.” www.sfai.edu The Interval at the Long Now Foundation. “I’m always up for grabbing a drink at the Interval, the bar at the headquarters of the Long Now Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to long-term thinking (as in, 10,000 years down the line), and houses the “Manual for Civilization” book collection and impressive artworks by the likes of Brian Eno and Jürg Lehni.”

www.longnow.org/interval

Heath Ceramics in Sausalito. “The original factory has been turning out the greatest ceramics since 1959, and the building itself wears its heritage well — Edith Heath had a hand in designing it.”

www.heathceramics.com

The Castro Theatre. “Not only one of the best examples of San Francisco’s early architectural tradition of Spanish Colonial Baroque (take a look at Mission High School for another example), this theater hosts Noir City, one of my favorite cinematic experiences. Timothy Pflueger designed the theater in 1922, which lends to its pedigree: Pflueger also designed San Francisco’s first high-rise — the Pac Bell Building at 140 New Montgomery, an exquisite Art Deco tower built only three years later.”

www.castrotheatre.com

Arkitektura Assembly. “Andrew Fisher and Philip Wood have created a heavy-hitting series of lectures in SoMa’s Arkitektura showroom. Some of the greatest living designers across multiple disciplines have stopped by to give inspiring talks to packed audiences. Their podcast is a must.” www.arksf.com